Get a Parrot
by FallAway
Summary: AU. She shook her head and started laughing again, her eyes flying up toward the sky. Oneshot.


Summary: AU. She shook her head and started laughing again, her eyes flying up toward the sky. Oneshot.

Disclaimer: I own nothing; we all know that, so let's move on, shall we?

A/N: Uh-huh. Because I came up with the idea last night and it decided to run away with me. I was forced to chase it; curiosity got the better of me.

--

_You can't remember where she said she was going to._

She stepped up and stood next to him, her eyes trailing after the others who were headed in the opposite direction. He didn't acknowledge her; she didn't expect him to. His eyes were fixated on the shimmering black object just a few yards away, somehow out of place on the perfect little green hill.

"She loved you," she said after a moment. He remained silent and clenched his jaw a little.

"Who knows why," he said finally. She kept her eyes forward, staring at the same place he was.

"She did," she returned.

He gave her a sideways glance and nodded a little. "Guess she did," he sighed.

They stood there and continued to stare at the casket, neither saying anything for seemingly hours. In reality, only a few moments had passed, but time seemed to be suspended around the two; around that which had captivated them and forced their conversation into a heavy lull.

"You took care of her," she whispered after a while. He bit his bottom lip and nodded, shaking his head lightly.

"I loved her," he said honestly. She laughed softly and wiped away the tears that were falling from her eyes, nodding.

"I know," she laughed again, crossing her arms in front of her chest. He turned to look at her and raised an eyebrow.

"What is so funny?"

She shook her head and started laughing again, her eyes flying up toward the sky.

"She told me…that she thought she was in love with you…" she took a breath, "When we were 18." She laughed again and looked at him, smiling and shaking her head. "It's just funny, for some reason. That she knew so long ago that you were the one."

He stared at her and then smiled a little, looking down and kicking at the ground.

"She told me she wanted to run away to Europe," he smirked. "She wanted to go sightseeing in Paris and get her portrait painted by someone on the street. She said it wouldn't be any fun without a boy to kiss at the top of the Eiffel Tower," he chuckled.

Lane smiled at him and wiped more of her tears away. "She threw up on the morning of your wedding."

He raised an eyebrow and nodded a little, "Me too."

They both laughed a little and he ran a hand through his hair.

"She ate half the wedding cake by herself and then blamed me when she got a stomach ache," he smirked.

"She tried to convince Dave that carrot cake counts as a serving of vegetables," she laughed. His smirk widened.

"She used to take pictures of everything when we first moved in together."

"She repeated 'Rory Mariano' so many times I told her to buy a parrot."

"She shoved me in the lake on the night of the wedding."

Lane burst into another fit of giggles at that. He rolled his eyes but couldn't contain the grin that was slowly spreading over his features. She sobered a moment later and looked at him thoughtfully, then smiled.

"She called me on your honeymoon squealing because you'd let her get her portrait painted and kissed her on the top of the Eiffel Tower," she said softly, seriously.

He locked eyes with her and nodded. "I would've given her anything."

"No one believed you guys would work."

"Never really gave them reason to."

"You proved them wrong."

"On the third try," he looked down at his shoes.

"You were good to her," she whispered. She didn't bother to wipe away the new veil of tears; they were falling too hard at this point.

Jess turned his eyes back to the gravesite and watched as they lowered the casket into the ground. A moment later green swallowed black and he closed his eyes tightly, fighting to hold back his own tears.

"It's quiet without her," he said softly.

"So get a parrot," she returned. He opened his eyes and looked at her again.

"Train it for me?"

" 'Rory Mariano' " she squawked. He rolled his eyes and she giggled, calming down after a moment and looking toward the hole in the ground just a few yards away. She sighed heavily.

"Think she ran away to Europe?"

He nodded, "Probably found better company this time around."

"Doubtful."

They locked eyes again and he sighed.

"Miss her?"

"So much it hurts," he said softly.

"Me, too," she whispered. He nodded. "I should go," she said after a moment. He nodded yet again.

"Yeah."

Lane sighed and walked over to him, hugging him tightly before leaving the cemetery to find her husband. Jess lingered behind for a few minutes before slowly backing up and doing the same. He silently promised to visit his wife again soon.

--End--


End file.
